-Jade-
"Get up, child!"
Jade sat straight up in her bed, startled and abruptly awaken.
The woman had entered her room and was pulling the curtains. It was barely sunrise. Why did she have to get up now? She had no chores here...
"Why?" Jade groaned and fell back into the wonderfully soft bed. She had slept quite well, if one didn't count the part about her crying herself to sleep.
"Because you have lessons." The woman, or governess, chirped and was suddenly standing at the right side of Jade's bed. "Come now!" She got hold of Jade's cover and ripped it off with no warning. The cold air suddenly embracing Jade made her shudder.
"Lessons?" Jade yawned and sat up. "What kind of lessons?" She stretched her arms slowly upwards and closed her eyes in a second yawn.
Her governess walked over to the door, she opened it and let in the same girls from yesterday. One of them were carrying a new dress for Jade.
She rolled her eyes when she saw the corset. Please, don't make me wear it today...
"I don't know." Jade's governess said and delegated out the girls' tasks.
One dragged Jade out of the bed and led her to a bathtub in the far end of the room. It was empty. Jade gave the girl a confused look as she helped Jade into it and then removed her night gown. A second girl made a quick and sloppy bun of Jade's hair on the top of her head.
Then it came. Two buckets of cold water was thrown at her naked body.
"What are you doing?" She screamed in a high pitched voice and her now wet and cold body started to shiver. She put her hands across her chest and grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to stay warm. "Who drenches someone in cold water? First thing in the morning?!" She exclaimed. She gave two other girls each an angry stare each. They blushed with the empty buckets in their hands.
An hour later Jade was dressed. She was also pouting because they had forced her to wear that wretched corset again. The woman didn't care. She was admiring her work as she put Jade's hair in a knot of loose braids in the back of Jade's neck.
Jade pulled out two strands of hair so they framed her face. She couldn't take the neatly and perfectly constructed hairdo the woman had made. It was too strict.
Jade was led by the woman through the castle. Meanwhile they walked, she studied her dress; it was dark green and equally as pretty as the one she had worn yesterday, but this one didn't have any lace. It was quite plain but still beautiful.
"Where are we going?" Jade asked as they entered a part of the castle she hadn't been to yet.
It felt like they were going to the right wing, but she really couldn't tell from all the turns and corners they made.
"The library." Her governess answered when they stopped outside a door. "If you need me, send a guard to come and get me." She said and opened the door for Jade without giving her the chance to answer.
Jade was forced into the room with a soft but stern hand in her lower back. The door was closed silently behind her.
The library was a room filled with bookshelves, of course, but Jade couldn't really grasp how many there were. Everywhere she looked there were books, either neatly placed next to each other on shelves, or placed in stacks on nearby tables, as if someone had been looking for one particular book and just left the others to be taken care of by someone else.
Jade put her right hand on a shelf and traced the books with her fingers while she studied their backs.
There were volumes of different kinds. History books and what looked like stories. Jade had never seen so many books in one place before.
Fortunately, her father had made sure that she learned how to read, which was not something everyone in Thornstead could. He had made a deal with a man who temporarily stayed in the village when Jade was little. In exchange for teaching her to read, he got free vegetables from the garden and the occasional hot meal at their table...
A poor trade for the man but she and her family were grateful.
In the middle of the library, a long table stood. Several candelabras with lit candles stood on it and they spread a soft light. The sun hadn't risen quite fully yet so the light was needed.
At the end of the table stood a woman. In front of her on the table, there were several books stacked. She had her hand on the stack and her eyes were fixed on Jade. She looked like she was expecting her. Jade headed down towards her with a knot in her stomach and her hands clasped before her.
While Jade walked she noticed someone sitting in an armchair in front of a fireplace, quite close to the table.
As Jade came closer she saw that it was William. She frowned in confusion and wondered what he was doing here.
He didn't even look up as she passed him. He was reading something and did not seem to care that she had entered the room.
Good morning to you too... Jade muttered in her thoughts.
"Good morning." The woman greeted Jade, her mouth in a strict line.
There was not as much as a wrinkle in her face, not even crow's-feet. Jade guessed that could be because the woman looked like she hadn't smiled since childhood. It made it quite hard to assume her age... She was definitely older than Jade but could be younger than her parents as well.
"Good morning." Jade answered kindly. The woman frowned and looked Jade up and down. "Did I say something wrong?" She asked immediately and had to disguise her annoyance of the rude look upon the woman.
"It is good that your lessons start today. You obviously do not know that you must curtsy when being greeted." The woman said with a very harsch tone and sharp eyes.
With a muffled clearing of his throat, William made his presence known. The woman seemed to understand something that Jade didn't and her sharp eyes softened somewhat.
The woman threw a nervous glance at him and then clasped her hands. Jade stood confused before the woman and glanced at William.
He was still sitting in the armchair with an old book in his hand. The other hand supported his head while he read. He looked like a statue that hadn't made a sound just a moment ago.
What had he told to the woman without uttering a single word?
The woman snapped her fingers gently and regained Jade's attention.
"Let us start. You shall herefrom address me as Mrs. Coen. I am your teacher." The woman said and walked over to one of the bookshelves. She fetched two large books and put them down in front of Jade. "Can I assume that you are not illiterate?" Jade looked confused at her. "Can you read?" Mrs. Coen asked sighing.
"Yes. I can read." Jade answered in a snide remark. Mrs. Coen gave her a stern look and raised an eyebrow.
"You forgot to address me." The woman corrected her but overlooked Jade's attitude.
"My apologies, Mrs. Coen." Jade said and fought the urge to raise her eyebrows at the rude woman.
She sat down at the table and Mrs. Coen opened one of the books. It was about etiquette and manners.
What is this? Jade thought to herself as Mrs. Coen started explaining curtsying.
-William-
He sat patiently on his side of the room. Jade was overwhelmed by the things he had learned as a child.
The blue eyes looked discouraged at the pages and then at her teacher. He couldn't help but look at her at every given chance.
Elisabeth had dressed Jade in an informal dark, moss green dress with little to no details on it. Yet she looked so beautiful; the green fabric smothered her waist and hugged her arms tightly. Below her hips the fabric flowed softly toward the floor. He dared not lower his gaze to her soft chest, if he was caught it would be too embarrassing to bear.
The dark hair was in a perfect bun in her neck but a couple of strands of hair had escaped. Two larger ones hung freely from above her left eyebrow. It was obvious that they were supposed to be there, but Elizabeth had not made them. Jade must have done it herself.
"Can I ask you something?" It was Jade's voice.
He looked up under his eyelashes. The question wasn't for him.
The teacher gave her permission to speak with a discreet nod. Jade turned to William and he quickly lowered his gaze to the book again, before she could see that he'd been watching her.
"Does he have to be here?" She whispered. What she didn't know was that the room was nearly impossible to speak privately in. Every whisper could be heard in here.
He pretended to not have heard her even though her words grabbed something in him tightly and crushed it.
Mrs. Coen let out a distraught gasp. She slammed her thin fingers in the table.
"Watch your tongue, girl!" She warned. "The prince goes wherever he wishes, and you are not to question it! My goodness! You really are as unpolished as they say!"
"Says who?" Jade challenged Mrs. Coen with a sharp voice.
William couldn't help himself and raised his head and Mrs. Coen saw this immediately. The smirk that wanted to surface to his face, he kept buried so Jade wouldn't know that her attitude amused him. Immensely.
Her teacher was very uncomfortable. She didn't know what to answer Jade when he was in the room. William gave away nothing of his thoughts and this made her feel very uneasy. He rarely made an effort to look interested or even kind when it came to the staff.
"Don't answer that, Mrs. Coen." He said with a cold voice. "That is none of her concern." He added. Jade turned to face him and he withheld, as best he could, his hearts joy when she looked right into his eyes.
"It concerns me very much!" Jade stated, clearly upset. "You, do not decide what concerns me and what does not!" She pointed at him and Mrs. Coen looked like she was going to faint where she stood. William suffocated another smile that wanted to spread over his lips. He had to maintain his image in front of the teacher and not let Jade disrespect him. He didn't really care if she did it when they were alone, but it wouldn't look good if she did it among others.
"Mrs. Coen, maybe your student needs a break. She seems to be very tired." He said and looked away from Jade, not responding to her lack of respect.
"Of course, your grace."
He could feel Jade's eyes on him. Giving him a venomous look and she slammed her books shut. She left without asking permission and slammed the door on her way out as well. Mrs. Coen curtsied on her way out.
When he was alone he was struck by remorse. He shouldn't have talked over Jade. It wasn't strange that she reacted the way she did. She only wanted to be treated with respect... But he had to make sure that she didn't ridicule him in front of the staff. He couldn't lead his father's kingdom in the future if he let Jade undermine him.
How am I going to do this? He though and closed the book in his hands. He didn't want Jade to hate him ,which she did... How was he going to fix this?
-Jade-
Mrs. Coen rushed after Jade through the castle. She caught up when Jade had almost reached a room with glass doors that led out to the castles gardens.
"What is the meaning of this?" She almost screamed at her and Jade twitched from the noise. Jade almost laughed her right in her face.
"I am leaving." Jade hissed and pressed the handle down.
"You will do no such thing!" Mrs. Coen hissed back and pointed at her. "How dare you speak to the prince in that manner?" she almost spat out the words.
"What gives you, and him, the right to speak to me like you do?" Jade asked back and opened the door.
"It should be clear as day!" The woman answered. "Do you not understand that his grace is a prince and you are a simple farmer's daughter? He may speak to you in any way he sees fit." She continued. "You, however, are expected to show him respect and obedience. I do not care how you speak to me, as long as you show the prince all the respect he deserves."
"None?" Jade asked provocatively. "Because where I come from, a person does not deserve the respect of others if he himself does not give it to others!"
"You come from nothing so you're words means as little as that. You WILL respect the prince." The last words were sharp and ended the discussion harshly.
"I will not." Jade hissed and went out through the glass doors.
I will not give my respect to someone who locks me into rooms, lets me sit and endure his mother's vile words and talks to me like a child. Jade boiled on the inside of her body.
Jade stormed out into the gardens and had her eyes set at the forest. She walked with hard determined steps and didn't care if anyone saw her. She wanted to get as far away as possible from this nightmare. She passed garden after garden. Her anger was overwhelming and she cried without making a sound. The tears just streamed down her cheeks and the cold wind made the lines of tears feel icy.
An hour later Jade was sitting by the roots of a large oak. They crawled above the soil and two big roots had a bit of room between them. Jade sat between two roots and leaned back at the trunk of the tree. No one had come to look for her, yet, and she was enjoying the solitude. From where she sat she could see the castle and its gardens through the woods. If someone was coming for her, she would see them before they saw her.
"Why did he choose me?" she mumbled as she studied the gardens she had rushed through. They reminded her of her father's. If William had picked her just for the purpose of heirs, he had made a very poor choice. "Who would follow a queen that comes from nothing?" Her words were barely audible while she spoke.
Who said he would even make you his queen? What if queens are just pretty little things that are to be kept as innocent as possible? What if you are the one to carry his children and then be tossed to the gutters? Jade's mind raced.
Hold on... He said in front of his parents that we are going to get married... I am not simply for breeding... Jade's mind kept racing and it didn't do her any favors. It just increased her anxiety.
Another half hour went and then Jade saw them. Riders. She had just calmed down and was just watching the foliage that was slowly shifting in color. The bright and intense green colors of the leafs were turning paler and some were even already a shade of yellow.
There were six riders. Jade felt her heart beat faster as she could hear the hooves of the horses rush towards her. Had William heard of her disobedience? That she had left the castle and rushed out into the woods?
The sound of the hooves became louder and Jade was able to hear the riders' voices now. They were yelling at each other about how they were going to look for Jade. One of them rode in front and he was the one yelling the most. Jade didn't recognize him.
"I am right here..." she mumbled and got on her feet. She brushed the dirt of her dress and clasped her hands in front of her. Waiting. She would wait here for them. There was no use in trying to go anywhere, even if it was to just get more time alone. The riders spread out and rode into the woods in different directions. The leader went straight forwards, towards Jade. The two riders on his sides rode after him.
It didn't take long for them to find her. The leader nodded at her when he noticed her presence. Jade quickly examined the other two and noticed that none of them was William. He was not a part of the searching party.
Charming... She thought. He didn't bother to come looking for her himself.
"Miss." The leader said and stopped when there was a couple of meter between them. He was wearing armor and a helmet. Jade couldn't see his whole face but she knew that she had never met his man. "You're expected to return to the castle." He stated.
"Fine." She said calmly. The man gave her a puzzled look. Like he was expecting a fight or struggle. "Who is expecting me?" She asked and crossed her arms.
The man's eyes narrowed and he looked like he had anticipated this. A smug smirk crept up on his lips but disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. He leaned forward in his saddle.
"You know who." He answered. "And he is furious." He added. Jade felt a jolt of fear hit her when he said the last word.
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I am veeeery happy to see that more and more are reading the story! I see it all and I am so very grateful for the votes <3 It makes my day!
I'm trying to translate more chapters in advance since I'm working on my bachelor's degree in November.
Thank you so much for reading this story, I hope you liked this part!